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For boats

Taiohae, Nuku-Hiva,
is the biggest and main settlement on Marquesas with population about 1600. It
is also Port of Entry into French Polynesia. The
time zone here is -9.5 UTC.Baie de
Taiohae, the main port for the Marquesas, offers most services. There is no
marina, but the anchorage is very huge and safe. AnchorageThe
entrance is straightforward and may be possible to enter at night. Keep left
of the red flashing range lights. Be
careful when entering at night, there is many boats at anchor without anchor
lights. The bay of Taiohae
provides good shelter, can be busy, but is wide and huge. There is enough room
for about 100 or more boats. Drop the anchor at 10-15 meters.The bottom is
sand or mud, anchor keep good. Most of yacht anchoring close to the old city
pier in NE corner of the bay, where is located the best place for landing by
dinghy. You should not anchor close to the new city quay (E part) because of ships
coming and maneuvering there every few days. The bay is
good protected, there is not much swell or strong winds in anchorage area. When
strong SE is blowing the swell could make anchoring uncomfortable, but it is
still safe. Dinghy’s
landing pointThe dinghy
can be left at small old harbour located in NE corner of the bay (easy to find,
some local small boats). There is a ladder which helps to leave the dinghy on
LW. Extreme
care must be taken there (dinghy dock) particularly when there is swell in the
bay. At low water dinghies can end up under the wall and many dinghies was damaged
in the past. If you plan longer stay on land it is better to leave your dinghy
at the ladder and then move the dinghy to the southern wall. Yacht
ServiceKevin, an
American who lives here offer many services for yachts. His office is located
at old harbour, just against you leave your dinghy. He speaks English and
French. The main services are (with fees in 2016):

-hourly
spot services – 4.000 CFP per hour-buying
commission 8%, minimum 4.000 CFP- technical services 5.000 CFP + materials
(mechanical, sail, electrical, refrigeration etc)-Hi is
monitoring VHF CH72 (call yacht service and ask) Yacht
Service Nuku-Hivae-mail:
YSNukuHiva@hotmail.comMailing
Address:Yacht
Services Nuku-HivaBP 301Taiohae, Nuku-Hiva 98742French PolynesiaTelephone /
Fax: 920 750ClearanceTaiohae is
the Port of Entry for boats arriving / leaving French Poynesia. No other
islands (other than the ports of entry at Ua Pou or Nuku Hiva) should be
visited before reporting to the officials. Yachts can
now clear in or out of FP with the “gendarmes” offices (French Police) which
deal with Immigration and Customs formalities.The
Gendarmerie in Taiohae is located in E part of the village. When you leave the
old harbour turn right on main road and walk about 5 minutes. There is
the official source from the Government of France:http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/coming-to-france/getting-a-visa/French
Polynesia is part of the European Union (as an overseas collective of France)
but not of the Schengen Area Agreement and has its own visa rules. These rules
closely follow those of mainland France with some exceptions that
are specific to FP.UE sailorsAll
European Union sailors don’t’ need a visa, and the procedure is easy going. You
all have to visit Gandarmerie with your passport, a captain have to fill up the
customs form, and send a copy to Customs in Papeete (there is a post office, the address
is on the form). That’s all, you are allowed to stay on Polynesia
for 2 years. Prepare a list with quantity of strong alcohol, wine, beer,
cigarettes, cigars, you have on boat (for customs form).Non EU
sailorsYou need a “Visa
On Arrival” which is good for 90 days. Applying for a 90-day visa does not help
with the bond or your check-in process. If you wish to stay longer than 90 days
in French Polynesia, you should apply for a
“Long Stay Visa”. Anyway all the crew has to visit Gandarmerie personally with
the passport. The French Polynesia Bond. French Polynesia requires all non-EU visitors to either prove that they have a paid way
out ofthe
country, or pay a bond on arriving in French Polynesia.
This bond basically is the guarantee that the French government doesn’t have to
pay to fly indigent people home. There are 3 ways to satisfy this requirement:1. Show an
airplane ticket out of the country2. Pay the
bond (roughly the equivalent of an airplane ticket out of the country) – about
2000 USD. The bond is refundable when you leave, with time and paperwork. Even
if you have obtained a long stay visa, you must pay a bond. 3. Arrange
with an agent to “guarantee” you. Essentially the agent guarantees that THEYwill pay to
fly you out of the country, and so you essentially pay for an insurance policywith the
agent – cost about 200USD per person.All
detailed information you will get at Gandarmerie office.WiFiWiFi: there
is a WiFi (available at anchorage), name ViniSPOT, but it’s not free and rather
quite slow. One hour cost about 4EUR, 20hrs – 40 EUR (payment via internet with
credit card). In 2016 the system worked wrong and with 1hr credit you can surf
all the time.A small bar
located in old harbour provide a free internet. Ask for password. Yacht service
also provide an internet – 300CPF / dayFuelThe fuel
station is located on East part of the bay on the new wharf. You can berth
there for a while, but be prepared for some swell which makes berthing
uncomfortable. Other way is delivering fuel in jerry cans by car (ask for help
Kevin Yacht Service).Duty Free
FuelA permit
for duty-free fuel can be obtained for free if you go in person to the Customs
office in Papeete
with your departure clearance. Otherwise, if using an agent (Kevin Yacht
Service), you will be charged for this service.WaterThere are
taps at the dinghy landings/ramps in port, but this water is dirty. There are
three taps in the village, where the water is filtered and available for free. Kevin
(Yacht Service) can help you and deliver a water from a tap to the harbour
(cost 500 CPF). Kevin have some empty containers. Groceries:There is
few shops located along the main street. You can buy there a fresh baguettes in
the morning. Taiohae is a great place for provisioning - significantly better
than anywhere in theMarquesas, Tuamotus
or Gambiers. There is a daily fruit and veggie market right next to the dinghy
dock, so fresh stuff is easy. Most of this produce is grown on the island and
so isn't too outrageous in price. Gas: New bottles
available in some groceries. Refilling – ask Kevin in Yacht Services.Bank:There is a
bank with ATM located on the main road. Trash: There are
trash bins located in old harbour.AirportThere is an
airport on Nuku-Hiva which has flights every day to/from Tahiti.
Air Tahiti is the carrier, their office is
located on the main road next to bank. Airport is located other side of the
island. If you need a transfer ask Kevin. Other
servicesThere is a
post office located in E part of the village (turn right when you leave the old
harbour). A hospital, pharmacy and dentist are in the village.

For crews

No WC or shower on shore.Nuku-Hiva is huge, sparsely populated island, boasts a fantastic terrain, with razor-edged basaltic cliffs pounded by crashing waves, deep bays with beaches, dramatic waterfalls and timeless valleys that feel like the end of the world.There is a very nice restaurant up by the hotel on the west side of the anchorage with a bar that serves happy hour drinks over looking their infinity pool and the anchorage. Dinners are $20 each though.I suggest to rent a 4-wheel drive from Kevin (Toyota Hilux) and spend a day driving to the airport (amazing road thru the island) and some other villages (Taipivai and Hatiheu). Do it at sunny day.Tikis and other Marquesas souvenirs are available in Artisanat (next to the old harbour), but in my opinion offering products are less beauty and low quality then on other islands (end more expencive).There is an tourist office close to the old harbour.A big church (called Notre Dame Cathedral) is in W part of the village. Worth to visit during Sunday service.There is a lot of shows during July Festival.